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It is much easier to have a good finish when one gets off to a good start. The 2012 corn crop is certainly off to a great start. Our corn was planted early and avoided frost. Today it has a wonderful-looking, uniform stand of healthy plants. Our corn should pollinate before the July heat.

Perils always lie ahead like pests and drought, both of which are worrisome to me. Drought is not far away because rains have been avoiding west-central Illinois.

Today we planted soybeans in a field where cows have grazed on durum wheat since last November. Since the soil was compacted, we had to till before planting and the dust was terrible. If EPA (which wants to regulate dust) had seen the dust we generated, its digital camera cards would either be full of pictures or their cameras would be inoperative due to dust.

Dry weather has been wonderful for harvesting hay. I baled 100 round bales of hay that had never been rained on and dried very quickly. The first cutting of our alfalfa crop in 2012 is the best quality and most quantity we have ever raised. With no rain in the forecast, I have left the hay stack uncovered for a few days.

The whole neighborhood is green with wonderful-looking crops. The soybeans I planted in March are taller than the corn I planted the first week of May.